COMPLAINTS
We are committed to providing a professional, courteous and high‑quality legal service to all our clients.
If you have experienced a problem, thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We will do our best to address any dissatisfaction that you have experienced in using the services of this firm. Our primary objective is to put things right.
There is no question of any charge being made for the time taken to listen to your concerns or resolve a complaint.
Our Complaints Procedure
We suggest that, as a first step, you raise any queries or concerns about our work with the lawyer/fee earner who normally deals with your work. You can do this by letter, email or telephone. They will do their best to resolve any concerns quickly and to your satisfaction.
If you are not happy with the reply provided, or if you would simply prefer to refer your concerns to someone else, please contact our Practice Manager, Carolyn Parry:
- Post: FAO Carolyn Parry, Complaints, 12-14 Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1DE
- E-mail: contact@parrylaw.co.uk
It is helpful if you put your concerns into writing, but if you would prefer not to, or if you would find it difficult to do so, she can be contacted by phone at 01227 276276.
If you have special needs which we should take into account due to language or disability, please let us know.
We will then acknowledge your complaint and carry out a careful review. This review may include a meeting or telephone call with you. We will then provide you with a full written response, which may suggest ways to resolve the issue.
The following are our target times for each stage of the process. Where, for any reason, it is not possible to observe any of these limits we will let you know and explain why.
|
Action |
Target Timescale |
|
Acknowledge the complaint in writing and send a further copy of the complaints’ procedure |
Within two working days |
|
We will then investigate the issues and, if a meeting/telephone discussion is required, we will contact you. We will write to you with the outcome of our investigations |
Within 21 days of receiving your complaint |
|
Review and close the complaint |
Within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint |
Legal Ombudsman
If you do not agree with the outcome of our complaints process, or we fail to investigate it within 8 weeks, you can then complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of our final response to your complaint.
As from 1 April 2023, the Legal Ombudsman can investigate complaints for up to 1 year from the date a problem occurred or within 1 year from when you found out about the problem.
The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted as follows:
Post: PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Solicitors Regulation Authority
You may alternatively contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) if you have concerns as to whether we have breached any of their professional rules for solicitors or if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
Further details can be found at www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/principles.
The SRA can be contacts as follows:
Post: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN
Email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk
If You Have A Complaint About A Bill
You may also be able to object to our bill by applying to the Court for an assessment under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.
There are strict time limits that apply to this process, and you may wish to seek independent legal advice.